,."^.. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


|_M 
11.25 


l^|2«     |2.5 

«5o   ■^~     R^H 

Ui  Ui   |22 

w  u^    ■■■ 

!g   1^    |2.0 

Ili& 


li 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  institute  for  Historical  Microreproductrons  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


1980 


■  k 


Technical  Notes  /  Notes  techniques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Physical 
features  of  this  copy  which  may  alter  any  of  the 
images  in  the  reproduction  are  checked  belo  .v. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6tA  possible  de  se  procurer.  Certains 
difauts  susceptibles  de  nuire  k  Ha  quality  de  la 
reproduction  sont  notAs  ci-dessous. 


0 
D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couvertures  de  couieur 


Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  g^ographiques  en  couieur 


D 

D 


Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couieur 


Coloured  plates/ 
Planches  en  couieur 


D 


Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  d^color^es,  tachettos  ou  piqutes 


D 


Show  through/ 
Transparence 


D 


Tight  binding  (may  cause  shadows  or 
distortion  along  interior  margin)/ 
Reliure  serr6  (peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou 
de  la  distortion  le  long  de  la  marge 
int^rieure) 


Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagies 


D 


Additional  comments/ 
Commentaires  suppiimentaires 


Bibliographic  Notes  /  Notes  bibliographiques 


D 
D 


Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 


D 

D 


Pagination  incorrect/ 
Erreurs  de  pagination 


Pages  missing/ 
Des  pages  manquent 


D 


Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


D 


Maps  missing/ 

Des  cartes  giographiques  manquent 


D 


Plates  missing/ 

Des  planches  manpuent 


D 


Additional  comments/ 
Commentaires  supplAmentaires 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  4tA  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettetA  de  I'exemplaire  film6,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
fllmage. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche  shall 
contain  the  symbol  -^  (meaning  CONTINUED"), 
or  the  symbol  y  (meaning  "END"),  whichever 
applies. 


Un  des  symboles  sulvants  apparaTtra  sur  la  der- 
nidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le  cas: 
le  symbols  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le  symbols 
V  signifie  "FIN". 


The  original  copy  was  borrowed  from,  and 
filmed  with,  the  kind  consent  of  the  following 
institution: 

Library, 

Geological  Survey  of  Canada 

Maps  or  plates  too  large  to  be  entirely  Included 
in  one  exposure  are  filmed  beginning  in  the 
upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to  right  and  top  to 
bottom,  as  many  frames  as  required.  The 
following  diagrams  illustrate  the  method: 


L'exemplaire  film*  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
g*nArosit6  de  I'Atablissement  priteur 
sulvant : 

Bibliothique, 

CommiMion  Gfologique  du  Canada 

Les  cartes  ou  les  planches  trop  grandes  pour  Atra 
reproduites  en  un  seul  ciich6  sont  film^es  d 
partlr  de  Tangle  supArleure  gauche,  de  gauche  d 
droite  et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nicessaire.  Le  diagramme  suivant 
iliustre  la  m^thode  : 


1 

2 

3 

5 


6 


^v 


'>\7, 


MCWH 


■■*'^»' 


-^/^  fM-^c,^^ 


BULLETIN  OF  THE  GEOLOGICAL  SOCIETV  OF    AMERICA 
Vol.  4,  pp.  226-240;  241-244 


ON  THE  GEOLOGY  OF  NATURAL  GAS  AND  PETROLEUM  IN 
SOUTHWESTERN  ONTARIO 


NOTES  ON  THE  OCCURRENCE  OP    PETROLEUM  IN  GASP^, 

QUEBEC 


BY 


H.  P.  H.  BRUMELL 


y 


W, 


t*^^'% 


ROCHESTER 

PUBLISHED  BY  THE  SOCIETY 

May,  1893 


BULLETIN    OF    THE    GEOLOGICAL    SOCIETY    OF    AMERICA 
Vol.  4,  pp.  225-240  May  20,  i893 


ON  THE  GEOLOGY  OF  NATURAL  GAS  AND  PETROLEUM  IN 
SOUTHWESTERN  ONTARIO 

nv   ir.    p.   U.   DUUMKLL 

(Read  before  the  Society  December  29,  1892) 


CONTENTS 

Pnge 

The  Areas  under  CoMKMeration 220 

Gas-producing  Ai va 22(5 

Oil-l)rodneing  A  roa 220 

Antliurities  indicated 22(5 

Geologic  Section  of  the  Areas : 220 

Tlie  geologi(!  Formations  involved 227 

Detailed  Do'scription  essential 227 

Tortage 227 

Hamilton 227 

Corniferous 228 

Oriskany 229 

Onondaga  and  Lower  Ilelderberg 2150 

Guelph 231 

Niagara 231 

Clinton 232 

Medina 232 

Hudson  River 234 

Utica 234 

Trenton  and  Black  Kivcr 234 

Geologic  Horizons  in  Ontario  yielding  Gas  and  Oil 235 

Oil  Wells  in  the  Corniferous  Limestone 235 

Age  and  Depth 235 

Annual  Output  of  Oil 235 

Chemical  Comiiosition  of  the  Oil 236 

The  Corniferous  ]ietroliferous  over  a  wide  Area 236 

The  Medina  as  an  Oil-producer 236 

Gas-ljearing  Plorizons :  Clinton,  Medina  and  Others 236 

Ijocalities  indicated 236 

Depth  at  which  Gas  is  found 23<» 

Records  of  tweuiy-eight  Wells 237 

Gas-bearing  Bed  of  the  Medina ; 237 

XXXIV— Bum,.  GEor,.  Soc.  Am.,  Voi,.  4,  18<ii.  ^225) 


220  H.  p.  H.  BRIJMKLT, — OAS    AND   I'KTKOLETIM    IN   ONTARIO. 

I'llgO 

Daily  Capiicity  of  hoiiic  of  ihv.  WoIIh 237 

( Hlior  l.ociilitioH ,. 238 

Tlio  Clinton  uh  a  (juh  producer 238 

Tiie  Niagara  as  a  (JaH-producor 238 

Other  (Jas-bearing  ForinationH 238 

Tlie  Onondaga  as  a  ( tan-prodiicer 23!) 

The  Trenton  as  a  (laH-i)rodni'er 239 

An  unusual  Occurrence  of  (ias 240 

Forthcoming  Publication  on  the  Subject 2-10 


The  Arkas  under  Consideration. 


Gas-prodndng  Area. — In  that  part  of  Ontario  lyinfj;  south  and  west  of  a 
line  drawn  from  Toronto  to  Collingwood,  oj)orations  in  scarcli  of  gas  and 
petroleum  have  l)con  carried  on  for  a  number  of  years.  They  have  re- 
sulted in  the  discovery  of  two  gas-i)roducing  areas  of  considerable  extent, 
viz,  that  in  Essex  county,  in  the  vicinity  of  Kingsville  and  Ruthven,and 
that  in  WcUand  county,  in  the  neighlmrhood  of  Sherkston.  Nor  are  the 
wells  of  these  two  fields  the  onl}'  j^roducing  ones,  for  many  isolated  bor- 
ings, such  as  those  at  Cayuga,  Dunnville  and  Mimico,  alVord  no  incon- 
siderable flows. 

Oil-prnducinff  Area. — Petroleum  has  unfortunately  been  found  in  com- 
mercial quantities  fn  but  one  county,  that  of  liambton,  where  there  are 
two  distinct  pools,  known  as  the  Oil  Sjtrings  and  Petrolea  fields.  These 
pools  have  l)cen  drawn  upon  'continuously  since  1862,  when  the  first 
flowing  well  was  struck,  in  what  is  now  known  as  the  "  upper  vein,"  Fol- 
lowing closely  upon  this  discovery  were  more  extended  operations,  whicli 
brought  to  light  the  present  oil  horizon,  known  as  the  "  lower  vein."  The 
upper  vein  having  long  been  exhausted,  the  source  of  supply  has  for 
yeara  been  in  the  lower,  wherein  wells  aftbrding  as  much  as  7,5(X)  barrels 
per  day  have  been  sunk. 

Authorities  indicated. — As  I  wish  to  treat  more  of  the  geologic  than 
the  historical  side  of  the  question,  I  will  follow  out  the  title  of  my  paper, 
l)Ut  before  doing  so  cannot  do  better  than  refer  those  interested  in  the 
oil  industry  in  Ontario  to  I)r  Robert  Bell's  ])aper  on  "  The  Petroleum 
Field  of  Ontario,"  luxljlished  in  volume  v.  Transactions  Royal  Society  of 
Can.ula,  and  to  the  report  of  the  Division  of  Mineral  Statistics  and  Mines, 
part  S,  Annual  Rei)ort  Canadian  Geological  Survey,  volume  iv,  1888-89. 

Geoloffir,  Section  of  the  Airas. — There  is  in  that  ])art  of  the  pi'ovince 
under  consideration  a  series  of  rocks,  lying  in  almost  undisturbed  posi- 
tion, ranging  from  the  Trenton  to  the  Portage  formation,  with  an  approx- 
imate total  thickness  of  4,1(X)  feet,  as  follows : 


»•    •    .*•  ••• •     • 

•  ••;••••     • 
»•  •  •    ••••••    • 

•  •«•••*  ••     • 

•  •    ••  •*••••«• 


...      • 

.  •  .  . ,  ,• 


,  •  •  •  •. 
!   ...  .... 


•  •  •;' 


.  •  .     .    .  a    •  ••    .  .  •         ..  I      • 

.       ....       ..*..       .•.•  •••• 


.STliUCTUKl';  (JF   THK   IIVbUDCAUBON    I'lKLDS. 


227 


„  Apprnj-imalc    ,              ...  , 

Formntlons.  ihicknas  in  '■''«'".'/«  (.^'f A 

feet.  ■' 

I'ortuno  mill  Clusimmj^ 2")-   200 

Devonian \  "'^'""t"".  'i'>""t m 

(loniiforoiiH l(j()_   ;j(K) 

( )riHkiiny (V-     25 

'  I/jwiT  IleldeihcTL'  1  .„^  ,  „„„ 

Onondaga                 /  :M)0-],000 


Silurian 


Canibro-Siluriun  , 


nt'ss  infect. 

100 

2;jo 

15 
050 


( iiiclpli 140- 

^'iiiKivni 100- 

Clinton ,'to- 

MiMlina  ism- 

1  IikIhou  River 500- 

IJtica ;!0(u 

Trt-ntun        ) 
.  Black  River  J 


lOO 

j;jo 

150 
800 
1)00 
400 

(iOO-  750 


150 
115 
90 
700 
7<)0 
350 

075 


Total. 


4,125 


'JIIC   GKOI/KHC   FoUMATI()N8    INVOLVED. 


Detd'ihd  DcHcripthm  cuscnl'ml. — To  moot  the  roquiroiiKjnts  of  this  pjipor 
it  is  i)orhap.s  hotter  to  descrihe,  so  far  as  is  known,  the  various  formations 
in  descending  order. 

Porlagc—Thii  Portage  in  Ontario  consists  of  a  series  of  fissile  hlaclc 
l)itu.nunous  shales  and  is  developed  almost  altogether  in  the  county  of 
I^amhton,  whore  it  acquires,  according  to  Dr  T.  Storry  Hunt,  a  thickness 
of  213  feet,  as  shown  in  a  horing  made  at  Corunna.*  These  shales  in  a 
well  hored  at  Sarnia  show  a  thickness  of  80  feet,  and  again,  in  a  well 
sunk  on  lot  12,  concession  10,  Bosan(iuet  townshi|),  they  are  soon  to  hav 
a  total  thickness  of  95  feet.  In  hoth  of  these  instances  it  lies  immedi- 
ately over  the  upper  shale  hed  of  the  Hamilton  formation,  the  upjjor 
limestone  hed  of  which,  found  at  Petrolea  and  elsewh(-re,  is  wanting.  In 
the  townshii)  of  Dawn,  and  again  east  of  Oil  Springs,  70  feet  of  hlack 
shales  are  found.  In  this  instance  they  rest  upon  the  upper  limestone 
of  the  Hamilton.  In  a  syncline  lying  between  Petrolea  and  Oil  8i)rings, 
and  separating  the  two  fields,  40  feet  of  hlack  shales  are  found  in  a  well 
drilled  on  Fox  creek,  the  elevation  of  which  is  considerably  less  than 
that  of  Oil  Springs.  Those  shales  in  no  instance  afford  oil,  but  are  prob- 
ably the  source  of  the  considerable  quantities  of  shale  gas  found  in  the 
overlying  gravel  and  sand. 

Hamilton. — The  wells  in  Petrolea  and  Oil  Springs  and  the  greater  num- 
ber of  those  drilled  in  Lambton  county  show  that  the  black  shales  of  the 

*  Koport  of  Progress,  Geol.  Survey  of  Canada;  180C,  p.  217. 


228  II.  I..  II.  IIUUMKLL— GAS    AND    I'KTUOLEUM    IN  ONTAIUO. 

PortHKo  Kn.u,,  inn.io.liutdy  ov.nliu  :i  liuR..st<,no  bod  which  conHtitutcs  the 
U|.|.or  stmtuiu  of  tho  Ila.nilton  f,.nnati<.n.  Thi.  s.rioH  ..frocks  vomhUi 
of  altonmt.njr  l.cMlnof  li,„,..st.,no  u.id  gray shulos  (known  locullv  as  "soap- 
stone  )  and  has  a  thic-kncss.  a<H-ordinK  to  a  .h-illin-  nia.h,  at  kinustono's 
nulls,  T>a.nI,ton  county,  of  ;!!)(!  foct.  Dr  Hunt*  speaks  of  this  well  as 
honiK  important  in  showinj,^  the  thi.-kness  in  Ontario  of  the  n.i.hlle  and 
upper  Devonian,  which,  if  we  ad,l  to  the  ;W(J  feet  found  here  the  2i;^ 
toet  of  roeks  heloUKinfr  to  the  Porta-c  found  at  Corunna,  is  (50!)  feet 
Ihc  record  of  the  well  at  Kingstone's  mills  is  as  follows: 

^\-:-\ Hfcet. 

i^'f"''t- ■■;■.• 50  i;.ct,  Portage. 

Shales  «<.lt,  a.ul  Innestono ;.,„(  j-,,^  „^^ 

Liniostone,  hard , ,  ..  ,.      ... 

^4  loot,  Loriuloroiis. 

At  Pctrolea  the  Ilainilton  is  only  290  feet  thick,  as  follows: 

Limestone  ('-upper  linio") 40  f    t 

Shale  ("  uj.por  hoapstono  ") ]  oq  T  " 

•  Llincstone  (" niiddlo  liiiio "J ]V    « 

Shale  (''lower  Hoapstone") '    \    -!j    „ 

Limestone  ("lower lime") C8    " 

At  Oil  Sprinf,^s,  8  miles  southward,  the  formation  shows  evidence  of 
having  thmned  out  the  thickness  there  heing  only  240  feet  according  t,> 
the  foUowmg  record  of  many  wells  drilled  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  field  : 
Limestone  ("  upper  lime  ")....  ^r  f    ^ 

Shale  ("  upper  soapstone  " ) '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'..'. joi    i? 

Limestone  ("  middle  lime  ") 27    " 

Shale  ("  lower  soapstone ") ,-    „ 

Limestone ("i6wer lime") ^ ■■.;;:;;. ;;;:;;::::;about  eo « 

Com/f.ro«s.-Underlying  the  so-called  lower  lime  of  the  Hamilton  is  a 
series  of  bituimnous  limestones  constituting  the  Corniferous  formation- 
he  source  of  the  oil  of  Lambton  county.     lk>garding  the  distribution  of 
this  formation  in  Ontario,  the  following  description  is  given: f 

fi  Jand'yir  occupied  l,y  this  fornuition  in  western  Canada  is  probablv  l>etween 
(000  and  7,000  square  nules.  A  jjreut  part  of  thi.s,  however,  is  dec'ply  cohered  lilh 
drift,  so  tluit  the  exposures  are  comparatively  few.  TA  the  e-istwnvl  fllr 
Uon  is  hounded  by  the  outcrops  already  as^i^ned  t^*.;!;;:!;^;^^"^^:;: 
lun  ts  of  which  in  niany  part«  have  as  yet  been  but  imperfectly  tmcLl  T  Ic  Who  ^ 
ofthe^a^vw^t^  J^. Corniferous fori  ' 

♦Hoportof  ProKi-oss,  Gool.  Survey  of  Canad.i,  1866^  p.  251.  " 

fGeologyof  Canada,  1803,  p.  aG2.  •        .f       • 


DKVONIAN    KOUMATIONH   OT   ONTARIO. 


220 


tioii,  with  Wh'  i^xcoption  of  a  l)clt  of  liinlicr  l>cvoniiin  rocks  wliii-li  croHHCH  llio 
couiitry  from  liukc  Huron  to  F,akf  Krii' iiml  dividfn  tin-  rt^K'""  '"*'•  'wo  arciiH. 
Tlie80  iifwer  Htnitu  occupy  si  SiiiklK'-sliiiin'il  dcjircHHioii  in  the  >{rctit  Cinciiuiiiti  iinti- 
cllnal,  wliicii  nnjH  nearly  wiHt  ami  west  tlironyh  tlio  pouinHula,  wliiit*  tlie  courso  of 
tliiH  (h'prcHHion  or  Hynclinal  is  nearly  north  ami  sontli  from  IMympton,  on  Laku 
Huron,  to  Orford,  on  T/ikc  l'irit\  Tlic  hcit  of  hinlicr  rocks  has  a  breadth  of  only 
ahout  twenty-live  miles  on  the  anticlinal  h«'tweeii  the  Thames  and  Sydenham 
rivers,  lint  on  either  side  it  spreads  to  the  northeast  and  to  the  southwest  alon<{  the 
shores  of  the  two  lakes." 


Ill  two  vv(!lls,  thoHo  of  Loiidtm  uiid  tho  "  Tost  well,"  at  I'otrolea,  tlie 
CoriiiferouH  iswhown  to  liiivo  an  a[)|»r()xiiiiato  tliiiknuss  ol'  alxiut  '200  foot, 
con.si.stinf?  througliout  of  hard  f^ray  liiiicstono.  In  all  woIIh  whoro  this 
formation  han  hocn  struck  the  rocks  appear  to  have  heen  of  uniform 
character  and  to  consist  of  white  or  grayish  limestones  holding  nodules 
and  layers  of  chert. 

Orii^kany. — The  Oriskany  formation  is  hut  slightly  develoj)ed  in  Ontario, 
being  entirely  wanting  in  most  of  the  wells  .sunk  to  or  beneath  its  horizon  ; 
again,  owing  to  the  carelessness  of  drillers,  its  i)resence  may  not  have 
been  noted.  In  the  townships  of  Oneida  and  north  Cayuga,  in  llaldi- 
mand  county,  it  is  exposed  and  forms  beds  of  sandstone  aggregating  at 
the  most  twenty-five  feet  in  thickness.  In  many  of  the  records  obtained 
from  drillers  mentioii  is  made  of  a  sandstone  at  about  the  summit  of  the 
Onondaga,  but  in  most  cases  close  imiuiry  has  proven  these  statements 
to  be  fallible,  the  so-called  sandstone  being  generally  a  granular  dolomite. 
However,  iii  two  wells  at  least  there  is  strong  evidence  of  a  sandstone 
occurring  at  a  point  near  the  position  (occupied  by  the  Oriskany.  One 
of  these  was  a  well  drilled  at  Dresden,  Camden  township,  Kent  county, 
wherein  the  following  record  was  met  with,  according  to  the  driller: 

Surface  deposits 43  feet. 

Shale,  black  180    " 

Limestone 12    " 

Shale  ("soapstonc") 172    " 

Limestone 7")    " 

Sandstone 44    " 

Again,  in  a  well  suidc  near  Dresden,  on  lot  3,  (concession  2,  Camden 
township,  the  foUowing  section  was,  according  to  the  driller,  obtained  : 

Surface  deposits CO  feet. 

Shale,  black  20    " 

Limestone 30    " 

Shale  ("  soapstone  ") 204    " 

Limestone 117    " 

Sandstone  ....   4G    " 


230  II.  1".  II.  ItlUrMKI.I, — (iAH    AND    I'KTIMM.IOI'M     IN    ONTAUIO. 

Oiwitdaijiiand  hnirr  irrlifrrhrri/.—  WrWi'iah  tlu' Oriskiiiiy,  wlii-n  prosciit, 
and  usuiilly  dirocrtly  iiDdcnu'iilli  lliis  ('itniilisrons  I'  .icstuiic,  is  a  long 
HcrieH  of  linicHtoncH,  doloniik'H,  marls,  sliivlos,  <;y|»suin,  and  salt  (;onstitut- 
in«  the  ()nondaj,'a,  which  for  convt^nicMcc  can  he  made  to  inchido  the 
Lower  lleldcrherg.  Tiiis  formation  ac(|uin;s  a  thickn(!ss,  in  the  salt 
region  of  Huron  county,  of  at  least  1,")(H)  feet,  according  to  the  following 
very  accurate  record  made  hy  l)r  T.  rt(^rry  Hunt*  of  a  wcsll  sunk  at 
(juderieh  hy  Mr  Henry  Attrill,  of  that  place: 

Frxt.     Inflict. 

SiirfiU'o  ilcpoHits 7,S  j) 

Dolomite,  witli  lliin  liiiicstunc  layers 27,S  .'! 

liiiiiestoiie,  witli  corals,  clierl  and  lieds  ofdt.loiiiite 27()  0 

Dol  iiiiile,  witii  seaiiiH  o('gv|i,siiiii 24.'!  0 

Variej,'aled  marls,  with  beds  of  dolomite |2I  0 

liock-salt,  lii-st  bed ;•()  ]  | 

Doloinite,  witii  marls  toward  the  oase ;;2  1 

Rock-Hult,  second  bed 2^^  4 

Dolomite (i  jo 

liock-salt,  third  bed ;{4  jq 

•ISIarls,  witii  dolomite  and  anhydrite ,s()  7 

Jiock-salt,  fonrtli  bed ^5  5 

Dolonnte  and  anhydrite 7  o 

Uock-salt,  fifth  bed ];{  (j 

Marls,  soft,  with  anliydrite i;[.j  (j 

Koek-salt,  sixth  bed (j  o 

INhirls,  soft,  with  dolomite  and  anhydrite l,'J2  () 

Total  depth 1^517      q 

As  to  what  is  the  greatest  actual  thickness  of  the  formation  it  is  im- 
possihle  to  say,  as  data  regarding  its  lower  measures  are  wanting.  In 
none  of  the  records  ohtained  has  there  heen  definitely  noted  the  red  and 
greenish  shales  indicative  of  the  hase  of  the  formation  in  New  Yo.k  state. 
According  to  the  records  of  wells  sunk  for  gas  in  Hertie  township,  Wel- 
land  county,  it  has  there  a  total  thickness  of  3U0  feet,  consisting  of  gray 
and  drah  dolomites,  hlack  shale  and  gypsum,  and  in  a  well  at  Petr,)lea 
it  was  found  to  he  U05  or  more  feet  thick,  as  follows: 

Limestone,  hard,  white 500  feet. 

Gyi)8um ,S0    " 

Salt  and  sliale 105    " 

Gypsum gO    " 

Salt  and  shal       140    " 

The  formation  may  he  thicker,  as  drilling  ceased  in  the  salt  and  shale. 

♦  Report  of  ProKresH,  Gool.  Survey  of  Cauadtt,  1870-  77, 


SlI.niltAN    I'OUMATIONS   (»K   ONTAUfO.  231 

Gtieiph. — Un(l(!riunitli  the  Onoiidiij^a  Ih  mot  witli,  ovor  a  coiiHidcraMo 
portion  of  tlio  proviiu't!,  a  scrUis  (d"  yellowisli  to  brown  and  in  placos 
bituminous  (lolomitos,  bavinu  a  probablo  tbickuoHH  of  not  moro  tlian  KiO 
feet  and  known  as  tho  (iu(!l[)b  formation.  Tboso  l)odH  bavo  been  pierced 
in  many  wells  in  Ontario,  but  efforts  to  o])tain  from  drillers  definite  in- 
formation as  to  tlu'ir  tbiekness  and  ebarac^ti^r  bavo  been  useless,  nor  lias 
it  been  found  possible  to  draw  any  distin(;tion,  in  records  of  wells  so  far 
obtained,  between  tbe  dolomites  of  tbis  formation  and  tbe  gray  dobmiito 
of  tbe  Niajtara,  wbieb  innnediately  underlies  it.  In  tlu;  W(^lls  of  tbe  Bertie 
townsbip,  Welland  county,  fjas  field  are  found  about  240  feet  of  dolomitc^s 
of  (iuelpb  and  Niaj^ara  ajje,  and  in  number  1  well  sunk  by  tbe  I'ort 
C/'olborno  Natural  (ias  Tiif^bt  un<l  Fuel  company  in  ITund)erstone  town- 
sbip, Welland  county,  tbere  are  found,  ac(!ordin<^  to  tbe  driller,  'JO  feet 
of  sbaly  dolomite  and  \HH  fcust  of  brown  dolomite,  witb  dark-blue  sbales 
toward  tbe  bottom.  In  tbe  town  of  Taris  a  well  was  .sunk  in  wliicb  99 
feet  of  Guelpb  dolomite  was  found  immediately  underlying  tbe  Onon- 
daga. Tbe  ])oring  was  not  continued  beyond  tbis  deptb,  so  it  is  impos- 
sible to  say  wbat  tbickn(\ss  tbe  formation  atbuned  at  tbis  point. 

Nla(/ar<i. — Tbe  Niagara  formatici,  tbe  upper  beds  of  wbicb  are  com- 
posed of  dolonntes,  as  stated  above,  bas  a  ])robable  tbiekness  in  Welland 
county  of  about  140  feet,  made  up  of  gray  dolomites  reposing  ui)on  about 
50  feet  of  dark  sbale.  It  extends  tbrougbout  tbe  province  in  a  nortb- 
westerly  direction  to  Cabotsbead,  wbere,  according  t()  tbe  (leology  of 
Canada,  1S().'>,  it  would  bave  a  tbiekness  of  about  450  f(;et,  and  is  com- 
I)osed  of  a  wbitisb  subcrystallinc  limestone.  On  tbe  Welland  canal,  near 
Tborold,  is  seen  tbe  following  section  in  ascending  order  :-'- 

Blnish-bhuk  bituiniiiouH whale 55  feet. 

Hlnisli-gniy  arj^illaoeoiis  liniostoiio 8    " 

Dark  bluish  hituiiunouH  liinoHtone 8    " 

Liglit  and  (hirk-gmy  iiiaf^iiosiaii  liiiiostono 20    " 

Eluish  bituiuinouH  HnioHtoiio 7    " 

Total 104    " 

This  section  does  not  include  twi  '  '  t  beds  of  Iduisb-gray  magne- 
sian  limestone  wbicb  maybe  of  Clinti/u  age,  tbougb  toward  their  summit 
holding  two  spc  '  s  of  fossils  characteristic  of  the  Niagara  series  in  New 
York,  nor  does  it  reach  the  summit  of  the  formation.  In  Illsscx  county 
the  beds  met  with  in  the  various  wells  sunk  near  Kingsville  and  Ruth- 
ven  at  a  depth  of  from  1 ,000  to  1,100  feet  consist  of  a  light  yellowish-gray 
yesicular  dolomite  which  is  probably  of  Niagara  age.  It  is  from  this 
dolomite  that  the  large  flows  of  gas  have  been  obtained. 

♦Oeology  of  Catiadii,  1HG;t,  p.  322. 


i 


mm 


2;]2 


II.  p.  II.  BRUMKLL — OaS    AND   PlCTROLKl'M    IN   ONTARIO. 


Clinton. — The  Clinton,  on  entering  Canada  throujfli  the  Niagara  penin- 
sula, consists  of  a  hand  of  green  shale  24  feet  thick  underlying  18  feet  of 
limestone,  though  in  tlic  wells  of  the  L'rovincial  Natural  Gas  and  Fuel 
company  in  Bertie  township  the  shales  are  apparently  entirely  wanting, 
the  formation  consisting,  it  is  said,  of  30  feet  of  white  crystalline  dolomite, 
which  is  grayish  toward  the  hase.  In  numher  1  well  of  the  Port  C'ol- 
horne  com[)any  there  were  found  heneath  the  dark  shales,  indicative  of 
the  hase  of  the  Niagara,  72  feet  of  marls  and  dolomites,  which  are  in  all 
prohahility  attril)utal)le  to  the  Clinton.  The  formation  appears  to  thicken 
toward  the  northwest,  gradually  diminishing  again,  as  proved  hy  the  ex- 
posure which  trends  to  the  north  from  Hamilton  toward  Collingwood,  a 
little  south  of  which  it  takes  a  sweep  to  the  westward.  In  Wentworth 
county,  in  the  township  of  Flamborough  West,  the  Clinton  is  seen  to  rest 
upon  about  8  feet  of  whitish  sandstone,  constitutiiig  the  "gray  band," 
Avhich  is  apparentlj'^  missing  in  Welland  county,  but  on  the  northern 
extension  of  the  formation  proves  a  very  conspicuous  feature,  forming  a 
terrace  upon  which  the  shale  and  limestone  of  the  upper  part  of  the 
Clinttm  occur.  In  the  many  records  of  wells  drilled  in  the  interior  of  the 
])rovince  evidence  is  wanting  to  estimate  the  thickness  or  character  of 
the  (Clinton,  though  in  one,  that  of  a  boring  at  Waterloo,  there  were  said 
to  have  been  found  1 14  feet  of  blue  shale  lying  immediately  above  red 
shale  undoubtedly  of  Medina  age.  In  all  prol)ability  there  have  been 
included  in  this  114  feet  the  dark  shales  of  the  Niagara. 

Medina. — Following  immediately  upon  tlie  Clinton  and,  where  present, 
the  sandstone  of  the  gray  band  is  a  great  thickness  of  red  and  white 
sandstones  and  red  and  green  shales  which  constitute  the  Medina.  This 
formation  has  its  greatest  thickness  in  the  Niagara  peninsula,  gradually 
diminishing  toward  the  north,  where,  at  Cape  Commodore,  in  Grey 
county,  there  are  seen  beneath  the  Clinton  limestone  109  feet  of  red  and 
green  shales  resting  upon  strata  of  the  Hudson  River  formation.  In 
number  1  well,  drilled  in  Port  Coll)ornc  by  the  Port  Colborne  company, 
the  measures  penetrated  for  a  distance  of  770  feet  were — 

Rod  Rhalo,  with  thin  bands  of  white  .sandstone 50  feet. 

Red  and  white  sandstone 53    " 

Soft  red  shale,  with  bands  of  gray  and  green G07    " 

Total 770    " 


Drilling  ceased  at  this  point  at  a  distance  of  at  least  200  feet  above  the 
base  of  the  formation,  as  in  a  well  on  lot  G,  concession  lo  of  liertio  town- 
ship, there  were  found  1,0(>0  feet  of  strata  attril)utal»le  to  the  Medina. 
The  best  record  of  the  upper  beds  of  the  formation  is  that  of  the  bottom 


SILURIAN    PomrATIONS   OF   OKTARIO.  233 

of  number  1  well,  drilled  hy  the  Provincial  company,  on  lot  3"),  conces- 
aion  3,  Bertie  township,  and  which  is  as  follows : 

Red  .sandHtone 55  f^^i 

Rod  shale _  _  ^q    << 

IJlue  shale 5    <i 

Wliitc^  sandstono 5    " 

Hliio  shale oq    " 

Wliite  sandstone  ("  gas-ivx-k  ") Kj    " 

Total m    " 

Throuf,diout  the  gas-fields  of  Bertie  and  Ilumherstono  townshi[)s  this 
section  of  the  ui)per  beds  of  the  formation  appears  to  be  quite  constant, 
only  very  slight  variations  being  noted.     The  most  marked  is  that  in 
number  9  well,  drilled  by  the  same  company,  and  wherein  was  found- 
Red  sandstone -,,)  fg^t. 

Red  shale \q    " 

Hlne  shale 5    " 

White  sandstone 20    " 

Hhie  shale 12    " 

Total 102    " 

The  second  white  sandstone  bed  beneath  was  penetrated  only  four  feet. 

In  a  well  sunk  on  lot  11,  concession  7,  liarton  township,  VV^entworth 
county,  and  about  forty  miles  to  the  northwest  of  the  above-mentioned, 
there  were  found  595  feet  of  red  shale,  with  bluish  bands,  lying  imme- 
diately above  the  bluish  shales  of  the  Hudson  liivcr.  Again,  a  few 
miles  northwest  of  this  places,  and  at  the  insane  asylum  in  Hamilton, 
there  were  said  to  have  been  found  G34  feet  of  red  shale,  and  at  Dundas, 
three  miles  north  of  this,  in  a  well  sunk  in  the  valley  and  begun  in  the 
Medina,  there  were  found  400  feet  of  red  shale,  in  both  instances  resting 
upon  the  Hudson  River  shales.  To  go  back  to  the  eastward  again,  there 
were  found  in  a  well  at  Saint  Catharines  548  feet  of  red  shale.  This  does 
not,  however,  show  the  entire  thickness  of  the  measures,  which  in  a  well 
at  Thorold,  eight  miles  southward,  proved  to  be  930  feet  thick,  as  follows  : 

Red  san<lstono ;50  feet. 

Shale 5^     " 

Gray  .sandstone ;}0    " 

Red  shale 813    " 

Total 930    " 

XXXV— Bui,i,.  Gedl.  Soc.  Am.,  Vol.  4, 188J. 


9M 


H.  P.  H.  llKUMELr.— OAS   ANt)   PETROLEtiM    IN   OiNTAHlO. 


Many  other  records  of  wells  bored  into  or  through  this  formation  are 
at  hand,  whicn  go  to  show  that  it  varies  locally  as  to  thickness,  yet  con- 
stantly diminishes  toward  the  north.  Of  the  formation  in  the  western 
part  of  the  province  but  little  is  known,  as  west  of  London,  where  it  con- 
sists of  500  feet  of  red  shale,  it  has  not  been  reached  in  the  borings  thus 
far  put  down. 

Hndmn  R!m:-Tho  Hudson  River,  which  Is  next  met  with,  plays  a 
very  unimportant  part  in  the  geology  of  gas  and  oil  in  Ontario,  and  con- 
sists, in  that  i)art  of  the  province  under  consideration,  of  a  series  of  shales 
and  limestones  immediately  underlying  the  red  and  green  shales  of  the 
Medina.     Untortunately  the  great  area  of  its  supposed  exposure  north  of 
Toronto  is  overlaid  with  drift,  but  where  the  exposures  are  to  be  seen 
they  consist,  as  in  the  township  of  Toronto,  Peel  county,  "  of  a  series  of 
l)luish-gray  argillaceous  shales  enclosing  bands  of  calcareous  sandstone 
sometimes  approaching  to  a  limestone  and  of  variable  thickness"* 
Ihese  sandstone  bands  arc  slaty  in  i^laces,  though  at  times  having  a  solid 
thickness  of  a  foot.     The  formation  has  been  reached  in  a  considerable 
number  of  wells-among  others,  those  at  Saint  Catharines,  Thorold, 
number  14  of  the  Provincial  company,  in  Bertie,  all  in  the  Niatrara 
pemnsula;    Swansea  and  Mimico,  near  Toronto;    Toronto,  Hamilton, 
JJranttord  and  London,  where  it  was  penetrated  for  150  feet  and  found  to 
consist  of  limestone  and  shale.     In  the  wells  at  Swansea  and  Mimico 
there  were  found  440  and  493  feet  respectively  of  bluish-gray  shale. 
Ihis  does  not  ot  necessity  represent  the  total  thickness  of  the  formation 
at  these  points,  as  boring  began  upon  it  immediately  beneath  the  surface 
deposits      In  the  Thorold  well,  wiiere  the  formation  was  met  with  at 
depth,  it  was  found  to  consist  of  700  feet  of  blue  shale,  and  at  Saint 
Latharines  it  had  a  similar  character  and  thickness.     It  is  quite  probable 
that  ,n  the  various  borings  limestone  was  found,  though  on  account  of 
Its  shaly  character  it  was  termed  shale  by  the  drillers. 

f/<!/m.-The  Utica  formation,  upon  which  the  Hudson  river  rests  is 
found,  wherever  met  with  in  drillings,  to  consist  of  a  series  of  dark-brown 
bitumxpous  shales,  becoming  in  places  bluish  toward  their  base,  and 
having  a  thickness  of  from  200  to  400  feet.  Of  its  exact  thickness  in  any 
well  It  IS  very  <]ifiicult  to  speak,  on  account  of  the  similarity  between  its 
upper  members  and  the  lower  strata  of  the  Hudson  river 

Trenton  and  Black  Rmr.-\iencaih  the  Utica  shales  there  is  met  with 

a  thick  series  of  bluish  limestones,  which  constitute  the  Trenton  forma- 

lon  including  also  the  Black  River.     This  series,  which  is  regarded  as 

the  Mecca  of  all  Ohio  drillers,  has  proved  itself,  in  Ontario,  to  be  com- 


♦Geology  of  CJiinada,  IRfi.'!,  p.  212. 


SILUUIAN    rORMATIOXS   OF    ONTARIO. 


235 


paratively  barron  of  gas  or  oil.  Of  its  i.rocluctivc  in-opertics,  liowcver, 
more  will  bo  said  later.  lu  eastern  Ontario  it  covers  a  large  area,  but 
west  of  Toronto  and  Collingwood  th(,  series  is  overlaid  by  the  Utica  an  1 
newer  formations,  with  the  exoei)tion  of  a  small  area  in  the  vicinity  of 
Collingwood,  wliere  it  is  seen  to  consist  of  Ijluish  limestone,  having  a 
slight  dii)  to  the  southwest.  In  tiie  few  wells  wherein  it  has  been  reached 
the  character  of  the  rocks  is  a|)[)arently  unchanged,  though  its  thickness 
varies  considerably.  For  instance,  at  Whitl)y,  east  of  Toronto,  it  has  a 
thickness  of  (iOOfeet;  at  Toronto,  58.5  feet;  Swansea,  002  feet;  OoUing- 
wood,  553  feet,  and  Saint  Catharines,  007  feet,  in  all  of  which  places  the 
formation  tvas  entirely  traversed,  the  drillings,  with  the  exception  of  the 
well  at  Saint  Catharines,  ceasing  on  the  striking  of  tlie  Arcliean  rocks 
immediately  beneath.  In  the  case  of  t)<e  boring  at  Saint  Catharines  the 
flrill  penetrated  27  feet  of  white  quartzose  sandstone,  which  may  be  Pa- 
leozoic or  belong  to  the  arkose  beds. 

Gkologic  IIouizo.ns  in  Ontario  yikldino  Gas  and  Oil. 

OIL    WELLS  IN  THE  COItMFEliOUS  LIMESTONE. 

A(/c  and  Depth. — Of  the  occurrence  of  petroleum  in  Ontario  but  little 
can  be  said.  In  Lambton  county,  where  it  has  been  produced  for  30 
years,  it  is  found  in  the  Corniferous  limestone  at  a  depth  of  about  475 
feet,  the  record  of  a  well  bored  near  the  Im[)erial  refinery,  Petrolea, 
being  as  follows : 

Furmation.  Strata  •     Thickness  in 

Jeet. 

Surface  deposits 104 

'  Liincstoiio 40 

i^liiilo 130 

Ilainilton Limestone 15 

Shale 43 

Liinestoiio 68 

Corniferous ,  Lin.e«tm>c,soft 40 

>                       \  Limestone,  j;my,  oil  rock 25 


Depth. 


4(>5 


Annual  Oiilind  of  Oil. — Some  3,000  wells  are  now  producing  and  afl'ord 
about  8(K),0()0  barrels  per  annum,  making  the  average  daily  production 
about  two-thirds  of  a  barrel  per  well.  The  oil  is  dark-colored  and  of 
from  31°  to  35°  Baume  in  gravity ;  nor  is  it  an  oil  that  can  be  easily 
refined,  on  account  of  the  considerable  proportion  of  sulphur  it  contains 
in  a  form  as  yet  undeterniined. 


236       II.  1'.  H.  r,RUMKi,r, — gas  and  pktkoi.kum  in  ontauu). 

Chemiad  Coiiiptmilion  oj  Ihc  Oil. — Acconliiif^  to  roturus  reooivcd  fi't»in 
tho  rctiuories  for  the  year  1889  it  lias  a  commercial  content  of — 

IJenzino  and  niii)htlia 1.0  per  rent. 

llluniiimtiiij?  oil 38.7        " 

I'liratHin',  fr.vH  ami  otlior  oils  and  wax 25.3        '• 

Waste  (coke,  tar  and  heavy  residunni) 34.4        " 

100.0        " 

The  Cornifcrous  pcLroliferoHii  over  a  wide  Area. — While  the  Corniferous  af- 
fords commercial  quantities  of  oil  only  in  Lamhton  county,  explorations 
have  proved  it  to  be  jtetroliferous  over  a  wide  extent  of  country,  including 
the  northern  part  of  Kent,  the  eastern  part  of  ^^iddle8ex,  and  southern 
part  of  Oxford.  In  the  county  of  Essex  oil  has  l)een  found  at  two  points, 
presumably  in  the  Niajfara  or  upper  strata  of  the  C!linton.  At  Ct)mbcr, 
in  this  county,  small  (pumtities  of  heavy  black  oil  were  found  in  a  hard 
limestone  at  1,270  feet,  and  ajjain  at  Walker's  well  number  2,  on  lot  8, 
concession  (5,  Colchester  township,  oil  similar  in  api»earance  and  gravity 
was  found  at  1,();)0  feet  in  a  brownish  limestone.  This  well  is  said  to 
have  pumped  five  barrels  per  day. 

THE  MEDINA  AS  Ay  OIL-PRODUCER. 

The  only  other  formation  Avherein  oil  lias  been  struck  is  the  Medina, 
in  which,  in  Humberstone  township,  Welland  county,  it  has  been  noted 
in  two  wells.  These  are  on  lots  11  and  12,  concessit)!!  8,  and  are  said  to 
have  llowed  four  and  two  barrels  each  per  day  respectively.  The  oil 
occurs  in  the  second  white  sandstone  lied,  about  100  feet  beneath  the 
summit  of  the  formation.  The  oil  is  of  light  claret  color,  of  about  45'^ 
Baume  gravity,  and  is  aiiparently  free  from  sulphur.  Further  work  in 
search  of  this  oil  has  not  yet  been  undertaken. 


OAS-BEARIXO  HORIZONS:  CLINTON,  MEDINA  AND  OTHERS. 

Locfdities  indicated. — (Jas  is  found  in  large  quantities  at  two  horizons 
only,  viz,  one,  which  is  still  doubtful  though  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  Clinton,  in  Essex  county;  and  in  the  Medina,  in  Welland.  In  the 
foriiier  county,  in  the  vicinit}'  of  Iluthven,  (iosfu'ld  township,  there  have 
been  sunk  several  wells,  in  three  of  wliicii  were  found  large  quantities  of 
gas,  in  each  case  emanating  from  a  gray  vesicular  dolomite  at  a  depth 
of  about  1,000  feet. 

Dejdh  at  which  Gds  isfoiuid. — In  Welland  county,  wherein  the  gas  field 
covers  a  much  greater  area  than  that  of  Essex,  the  gas  is  found  almost 
entirely  in  the  Medina  sandstone,  about  100  feet  below  the  summit  of 
the  formation  and  at  a  dejith  of  about  830  feet.    The  record  of  number  1 


DEPTH    AND   CAPACITY    OK    WKM.S. 


237 


TliirkncM 
in  fact. 
<> 


well,  drilled  on  lot  JJo,  concession  .'5,  IJertie  ttjwiiship,  by  the  I'rovincial 
Naturtil  Gas  and  F'ucl  (!oini)any,  is  a  follows  : 

Formation.  Strata. 

Surface  ileposits 

Coriiiferous l)iirk-};niy  liniestoiu? 

Oiiondaga (jirayaiiil(lral)(l(tli)iiiitoH,l>lacksliale8anili;j'isiiii(. . 

GiU!l|)h  and  Niagara. . .  (iray  dolomite 

Niagara Rlaeiv  sliale 

Clinton .  White  cry.'^tallinc  dolomite, gray  toward  bottom. . . 

Red  sandstone 

Ued  shale 

nine  shale 

White  sandstone 

Hlne  shale 

L  White  sandstone  ("  gas-rock  ") 


Medina. 


Total. 


300 
240 

r)0 

30 
55 
10 
5 
5 
20 
U) 

840 


oil 
the 
45'^ 

in 


Records  of  twciity-dght  Welti. — In  the  above  well  2,()00,()0()  cubic  feet  of 
gas  per  day  were  struck  at  a  depth  of  830  feet,  (n*  six  feet  in  the  sect)nd 
white  sandstone  l)ed.  This  company  have  drilled  some  thirty  wells,  the 
records  of  which  do  not  differ  materially  from  that  given  jibove,  though 
capacity  varies  greatly,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  following  table  : 


Nitmher  of  the 
well. 


1. 

;{. 

4. 


Cubic  feet  per 
dai/, 

.  2,050,000 
375,tXK) 
(iOO.OOO 

.     2,200,000 


5 8,500,000 

0 70,000 

7 3,000,000 

8 47,000 

<J 3,500,000 

10 4,500,000 

11 300,000 

12 5,5(X),000 

13 300,000 

14 5,000 


Numhrr  of  the 
ircU'. 


Cubic  fret  per 
Jay. 


15 50,000 

10 12,500,000 

17 ;...  2,500,000 

18 2,000,000 

1!) 1,500,000 

20 300,000 

21 None. 

22 2,(500,000 

23 30,000 

25 500,000 

20 2,750,000 

27 None. 

28 Limited. 


of 
1 


Gns-beariufi  Bed  of  the  Mcd'nui. — In  all  of  these  wells,  with  the  exeejttion 
of  number  22,  the  entire  How  was  obtained  from  the  second  white  sand- 
stont!  bed  of  the  Medina ;  nor  are  these  the  only  wells  protlucing  large 
quantities  of  gas  from  that  horizon,  as  shown  below. 

Dally  Capacity  of  some  (f  the  Wells. — The  largest  gas  well  is  that  known 
as  Costo  number  1,  drilled  by  the  Ontario  Natural  Gas  company  on  lot 
7,  concession  1,  of  Gosfield,  and  carried  to  a  depth  of  1,021  feet,  wherein 


238 


II.  1'.  II.  MKUMKM, — fiAH   AND    I'KTIIOLICUM    IN    ONTARIO. 


ut  1,017  foot  a  How  of  iiaa  oqunl  to  1(),(X)(),0(X)  eul>ic  foot  ]t(!r  day  was 
found.  Anothor  was  drilled  by  tho  t'itizons'  (ias,  Oil  and  IMpinji;  com- 
pany of  Kiiif^svillo  on  the  road  allowanco  aljout  "k)  yards  wost  of  tlie 
al)ov('-niontioned  well,  and  atlordod  7,()(M),(HX)  foot  ]ter  day,  from  a  rock 
similar  in  charaotor  and  depth  to  that  in  (k)sto  num't)er  1.  On  lot  7, 
concession  1,  of  CJosfiold,  the  Citizens'  (3omi)any  aj^ain  drilled  and  found 
gas  to  tho  extent  of  2,5()(),(KM)  cubic  feet  per  day,  and  I  understand  that 
the  Ontario  company  have  been  (juite  successful  in  a  boring  made 
southeast  of  their  Coste  number  1,  having  ol)tained  there  a  heavy  (low, 
estimated  at  7,<)0(),()tK)  feet  per  day.  All  oH'orts  to  Hnd  gas  north  and 
northwest  of  this  group  of  wells  have  boon  futile,  tho  beds  being  found 
to  be  flooded  with  salt  water. 

Other  LdCdllties. — Among  other  lesser  producers  may  be  mentioned 
Carrolls,  in  liumberstone  township,  which  afforded  1,0()0,()()0  cubic  foot 
per  day.  At  Cayuga,  in  Haldiniand  county,  west  of  Wolland,  a  consid- 
erable flow  was  found  in  the  Medina  as  well  as  at  Dunnville,  about  mid- 
way between  Port  Colborne  and  Cayuga.  In  wells  bored  to  or  through 
the  Medina  north  and  northwest  of  Welland,  and  tho  wells  mentioned 
above,  tho  formation  has  been  found  to  be  ])ractically  barren  of  gas,  the 
only  boring  wherein  it  was  noted  being  at  Beeton,  where  in  a  soft  sand- 
stone just  beneath  the  surface  deposits  a  small  quantity  occurred. 

The  Clinton  as  a  Gas-jtroducer. — Tho  Clinton  in  a  small  number  of  wells 
has  afibrdod  large  quantities  of  gas,  the  most  marked  instances  being 
those  in  Welland  county,  known  as  Near's,  Reebe's  and  Hopkins'  num- 
ber 2,  each  of  which  i)roduced  400,000  cubic  feet  per  da}',  and  tho  Mu- 
tual company's  well,  which  produced  1,500,000  cubic  feet.  These  wells 
are  all  in  that  district  wherein  the  Medina  is  so  pi'oductive,  a  fact  that 
rather  tends  to  suggest  that  the  gas  is  adventitious.  Outside  of  this 
county  the  Clinton  has  not  as  yet  produced  a  single  cul)ic  foot  of  gas. 
Jlxception  must,  of  course,  l)e  taken  to  this  statement  if  it  be  proved  that 
the  pi'oductive  horizon  in  Essex  county  is  in  that  formation. 

77(C  Niagara  as  a  Gas-producer.— In  Welland  county  the  Niagara  also 
is  a  large  producer  of  gas.  well  number  22  of  the  Provincial  company 
affording  1,850,000  cubic  foot  per  day  from  tho  limestones  of  the  upi)er 
part  of  the  formation,  while  in  a  well  sunk  a  few  miles  north  of  this,  at 
Niagara  Falls  South,  a  flow  of  50,(K)()  cubic  feet  was  obtained  in  the  shales 
beneath  the  limestone. 


OTHER  OA.S-BEARIXG  FOR.MATIOXS. 


There  now  remain  to  be  spoken  of  onl}'  three  formations  whicU  have 
aftbrded  gas,  though  only  as  yet  in  small  quantities.  They  are  tho 
Onondaga,  the  Trenton,  and  a  sandstone  of  age  anterior  to  the  latter. 


GAS   PnoNf   TIIK   TltKNTON   AND   t^NONDAOA.  230 

The  Onomhif/d  (i>t  a  Gnu-produan: — The  ocoiirronco  of  f^us  in  tlio  Oiioiv 
(liif^ii,  oven  in  tlio  .sniall  <|Miintiti().s  notod,  is  uniciuo.  At  Blyth,  Huron 
county,  and  in  tiio  midst  of  a  eonsidorahlc  lunnhcr  of  wt'ls  l»orod  in  the 
salt  rojfion,  a  well  was  (h'illed  wliicli  ailorded,  according  to  the  driller, 
the  following  record; 

Surface  deposits 104  ffct . 

Limestone ;',()0    " 

(?)  :i4(;   " 

"  IMiick  shiile " lot)  " 

"Hani  rock" '.  170  " 

Shale lOi)  " 

Rock-Halt 00  " 

Total 1,215    " 

In  the  Idaok  shales  considerahlo  (juantitics  of  gas  were  ol)tained,  not, 
however,  suflicient  to  he  of  coniinercial  value. 

The  Trenton  an  n  Gns-prodncer. — The  Trenton  formation  has  not  as  yet 
aflbrded  any  considerahle  (luantities  of  gas,  though  pierced  at  many  points, 
the  most  westerly  heing  Stratford,  where  it  was  found  at  2,3(!i)  feet  and 
penetrated  for  2-1  feet,  where  a  heavy  How  of  salt  water  caused  the  ahandon- 
mcnt  of  the  work.  Coming  eastward,  the  ])oint  where  it  was  next  struck 
was  on  lot  10,  con(!ession  15,  Hrantford  township,  lirant  county,  where 
it  was  reached  at  a  depth  of  1,950  feet  and  a  small  (piantity  only  of  gas 
oljtained  at  its  summit.  At  Dundas,  near  Hamilton,  in  Wentworth 
county,  it  was  struck  at  1,4.'^0  feet  and  found  to  he  harren.  Again,  at 
Thorold,  Welland  county,  ahout  40  miles  east  of  Hamilton,  the  Trenton 
was  struck  at  1,905  feet  and  penetrated  for  525  feet,  where  a  very  small 
flow  of  gas  was  noted.  Ahout  8  miles  north  of  this,  at  Saint  Catharines, 
it  was  again  reached,  heing  struck  at  1,506  feet  and  found  to  he  harren, 
although  the  entire  formation  was  traversed.  Again  east  of  Thorold  and 
on  lot  0,  concession  15,  of  Bertie  township,  it  was  struck  at  2,525  feet  in 
well  numher  14  of  the  Provincial  company,  wherein  it  was  traversed  for 
195  feet  without  affording  gas.  The  foregoing  three  wells  are  the  only 
ones  in  which  the  Trenton  was  reached  south  of  Lake  Ontario.  On  the 
northern  side,  however,  it  has  heen  met  with  in  all  wells  drilled  close  to 
the  lake  shore.  In  Toronto  several  wells  were  sunk,  operations  com- 
mencing upon  the  Hudson  River  formation  and  the  drilling  continued 
deep  into  or  through  the  Trenton  without  finding  gas;  hut  at  Mimico, 
ahout  8  miles  west,  three  wells  have  afforded  small  quantities,  the  great- 
est How  heing  ahout  50,000  cuhic  feet  pcf  day.  In  and  around  CoUing- 
wood  several  wells,  heginning  in  the  upper  heds  of  the  formation  and 
continued  to  its  hase,  afforded  small  Hows,  the  greatest  being  about  0,000 
cubic  feet  per  day. 


240 


If.  p.  ir.  lUniMKLL— OAS    AND    PKTKOr.Kr'Xf    IN    ONTAKIO, 


It  w,Il  thus  1,0  soon  that  in  Ontario  the  Trenton  a,  a  lar^c  producer 
l'.i.s  proved  HO  (ar  anythiu-  hut  succe.SHlul.  E,  ,..1  at  Dundas  on  the 
crown  of  the  Dunda.  antieiinal,  no  ,a.s  ...s  found.  There,  ho";;"  ro- 
".ni.,H  m  the  western  ..nd  southweHtcrn  portion  of  the  province  a  larKO 
area  as  yet  untouche.l  wherein  it  n.ay  afford  hirge  .piantitieH  and  prove 
ot  a     rreat  vrdue  as  it  lias  further  southward,  in  Ohio 

Tl  following?  table  exhibits  tlie  position  of  the  Trenton  in  southwe.st- 
ern  Ontario  in  regard  to  tide  level. 


Locality  of  well. 


Toronto,  Rwanson  . . 

Miinii'o 

Collingwood,  City. .. 
Defpiii 

DmidaH 

Saint  CatlmrincH...! 

Thorold 

Provincial  coiiipany, 

nnnilici  14 

Braiitford 

Stratford 


Eloyntion 

of  well 
aliove  tide. 


J'Wi. 
;!47 
2S0 
502 
00() 
About  .'iOU 
297 
0I7 

•Abont  (!20 

(172 

1.18.5 


Elevntifm ' 

of 
Huniniitofl 
Trenton.  | 


Tbicknc.ss 

of 
Trenton. 


Klevntion 

of  buHO 

of  Trenton. 


Feet.       j      Feel. 
~     -'!»(?  I  602 

—  44:5  ; 

HcKun  on  i  Trenton. . 

+     -').-)2  !... 

—  l.KiO  '.... 
~\,m):  007  ■ 
--  i,:iH.s  .... 


—  1, !)().■) 

—  1,27K 

—  1,170 


Fed. 

—  S<)S 
Not  readied. 

+      :{!) 

Not  readied. 
....do  

—  l,87(i 
Not  readied 


Oas  in  Tren- 
ton—cubic 
feet  |)er  day. 


..do 

..do 

.do 


None. 

About  5,000 
"  5,000 
"      (i,(K)0 

None. 

None. 

Very  small. 

None. 

N'ery  Hinall. 
None. 


Unfortunately  no  analysc-s  or  elose  e-xaminations  have  as  yet  been 
made  of  the  Irenton  limestone  in  that  part  of  the  province  under  eon- 
sideratHin,  the  only  analyses  available  beinj,  tho.se  of  specimens  from 
<iuarries  con.s.derably  to  the  east  of  the  portion  where  it  is  under  cover 

A,innn^,al  auuurmee  of  Ga^.-A  rather  peculiar  occurrence  of  gas  is 
that  found  ,n  the  well  near  Saint  Oatharincs.  In  this  boring  a  yellow 
quartzose  .sandstone  beneath  the  Trenton  limestone  was  penetrated  for 
seventy-seven  feet  and  aflbrded  a  small  ,,uantity  of  gas,  insutlicie.it  for 
commercial  pui'iioses. 


FoRTiicoMiNO  Publication  on  thk  Suhject. 

In  closing,  I  shoul.l  like  to  <lraw  attention  to  the  fact  that  a  detailed 
description  of  wells  bored  in  Ontario,  accomj.anied  by  maps  and  sections 
IS  now  an  press  and  will  shortly  be  issued  by  the  Canadian  ({eological 
Survey.  In  this  will  be  found  a  more  or  less  complete  narrative  of  bor- 
ing operations  U])  to  the  close  of  the  calendar  year  1890. 


BULLETIN  OF  THE  GEOLOGICAL  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA 

Vol.  4,  pp.  241-244  May  20,  1893 


NOTES  ON  THE  OCCURRENCE  OF  PETROLEUM  IN  GASPE, 

QUEBECJ 

BY   H.   P.    11.   BBUMKLL 

(Read  before  the  Society  December  30^  1SD2) 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Earlier  History 241 

Tlie  Eoirality  iiulicatod 241 

Tiie  Oil-bcariiij,'  F,)riiiati<)n  dcHorihod 241 

Former  Knowledge  concern iiij;  the  !iOca)i(y 242 

Recent  Exploitation 243 

History  of  later  Openitions  not  fnliy  known 24 

Notes  on  past  and  jjrc.'ient  Investinations 243 

Continuation  of  Investigations  probable 244 


Eauijer  HrsTouY. 

The  LocdUty  indicdted. — Operations  in  search  of  petroleum  have  been 
carried  on  in  a  desultory  manner  for  about  30  years  in  the  vicinity  of 
Claspe  basin,  Gaspe  county,  (Quebec,  without  as  yet  any  economic  result. 
The  presence  of  oil  at  depth  has,  however,  been  proved  through  the 
efforts  of  "  The  Petroleum  Trust,"  an  English  company,  which  has  been 
o]>erating  on  the  southwest  side  of  Caspe  bay,  in  the  neighborhood  of 
and  to  the  south  of  (iaspe  l)asin. 

The  Oil-bearing  Formation  described. — In  the  eastern  part  of  the  Gasp6 
l»eninsula  there  is  a  great  thickness  of  sandstones  resting  conformably 
ui)on  almost  as  great  a  thickness  of  limestones,  the  whole  being  of  lower 
Devonian  and  possibly  partly  Upper  Silurian  age.  According  to  Dr  R. 
W.  Ells,*  these  sandstones  have  a  thickness  of  about  3,000  feet,  while  the 

♦  Koport  of  Progress,  Geol.  Survey  of  Cimadii,  1880-82,  p.  5  D  D. 
XXXVI— Bull.  Gkol.  Soc.  Am.,  Vol.  4,  18U'.4.  (241) 


242 


II.  r.  II.  IJHUMKM- — I'KTUnLKI'M    IN    (JI'KIMCC. 


undcrlyiuf^  linioHtonc  in  ('stiiniited  at  iiliout  2,(KH)  feet.     Tlicsc  nuks  arc     * 
lurf^fly  (Icvelopod  in  tlio  vicinity  id'  (iaH|)i!  bay,  wlicrc  tliey  tonn  a  .scries 
of  almost  i>arallcl  antiulinal.>i,  on  or  luar  tlu;  axes  of  wliicth  the  j^roatcr 
])art  of  tlie  exploratory  work  has  ))een  done. 

Dr  K.  W.  EIIh,  in  the  report  cited  above,  speaks  of  these  antiolinals  as 
follows : 

"The  rocks  of  the  HcricH  have  a  con.sidorahlu  devclopiiu'iit  on  tlie  Hcvcml  rivers 
that  flow  into  (iaHix'  hay,  wliere  tliey  he  in  sliallow  l)iiHinM,  hounded  hy  tlie  anti- 
eUiials,  wlilch  l)rln)i  into  view  tiie  strata  of  the  lower  or  <  iaspe  linieHtone  series. 
These  hawins  arc  at  Idast  four  in  nuniher,  the  dividinji  anticlinais  heinjj  known  as 
the  Haldiniand,  the  Tar  I'oint,  tiie  Point  Suint  i'eter,  iind  the  I'erce,  the  most 
southerly  yet  reeo^jni/ed.  On  the  south  side  they  rest  upon  rocks  of  the  Silurian 
system.  The  whole  formation  may  therelon>  he  s'lid  t'ioccni)y  aKeosyneiinal  hasin, 
the  western  linut  of  which  1ms  not  yet  heen  traceil,  hut  which  will  prohuhly  he 
found  to  )m)  continuous  with  the  hasin  recoj^nized  on  the  Cascapedia  river,  and 
thence  extending  to  the  IMctapedia." 

Foiiner  Knnidedric  concerning  the  Locality. — In  the  "  (Jeology  of  Canada," 
1863,  page  789,  the  followinji  mention  is  made  of  the  various  natural  oil 
springs  of  the  district.  This  includes  i)robably  all  that  was  known  of  the 
occurrence  of  oil  in  CJaspe  up  to  that  date : 

"At  the  oil  sprin-,  at  Silver  brook,  a  tributary  of  the  York  river,  the  petroleum 
oozes  from  a  mass  of  sandstone  and  arenaceous  shale,  which  dips  southcastwardly 
at  an  angle  of  1.3°  and  is  nearly  a  mile  to  the  south  of  the  crown  of  the  anticlinal. 
The  oil,  which  here  collects  in  j)ools  along  the  brook,  has  a  greenish  color  and  an 
aromatic  odor,  which  is  less  disagreeable  than  that  of  the  petroleum  of  western 
Canada.  From  a  boring  which  has  been  sunk  in  the  sandstone  to  a  depth  of  about 
200  feet  there  is  an  abundant  flow  of  water,  accompanied  with  a  little  gas  and  very 
small  quantities  of  oil.  Farther  westward,  at  about  twelve  miles  from  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  oil  was  observed  on  the  surface  of  the  water  at  the  outcroj)  of  the  lime- 
stone. Petroleum  is  met  with  at  Adams'  oil  spring,  in  the  rear  of  lot  B  of  York, 
nearly  two  miles  east  of  south  from  the  entrance  of  (iaspe  basin.  It  is  here  found 
in  small  quantities  floating  upon  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  near  by  is  !'  layer  of 
thickened  petroleum,  mixed  with  mold,  at  a  dei)th  of  a  foot  beneath  the  surface 
of  the  soil.  A  mile  to  the  eastward,  at  Handy  beacii,  oil  is  said  to  occur,  and,  again, 
at  Haldimandtown,  where  it  rises  through  the  nmd  on  the  shore.  These  three 
ocalities  arc  upon  the  sandstone  and  on  the  line  of  the  northern  auMclinal  which 
passes  a  little  to  the  north  of  the  Silver  Ihook  o\\  spring.  Farther  to  tiie  southeast, 
on  the  line  of  the  southern  anticlinal  and  about  two  miles  west  of  Tar  Toint,  which 
takes  its  name  from  the  i>etroleum  found  there,  uiiotlier  oil  spring  is  said  to  be 
fouinl,  three-(iuarters  of  a  mile  south  of  Seal  cove.  On  the  south  side  of  the  Doug- 
lastown  lagoon,  and  about  a  mile  west  of  the  village,  oil  rises  in  small  (luantities 
from  the  mud  on  the  beach.  .\  well  has  here  been  bored  to  a  depth  of  125  feet  in 
the  sandstone,  which  dips  Ui  the  southwest  at  an  angle  of  10°,  but  tratres  only  of 
oil  have  been  obtained.  Farther  to  the  westward  oil  is  said  to  occur  on  the  second 
fork  of  the  Douglastowu  river.    Traces  of  it  have  also  been  observed  in  a  brook 


UKCKNT   OITCRATIONS    IN   (iASI'K. 


213 


near  Siiint  (icoigi-'H  cove,  on  tlu>  iiDitlu'iiHl  nidc  f>f  (luHpt'' Imy.  In  iiimc  of  JIh-hh 
li»calili*'H(l()  the  HpriiiKH  yield  any  lai>,'t' (|iiantitifH(»f  oil,  imr  liavctiio  Itoiinf^H,  which 
have  hcon  niaiU'  in  two  placoH,  hccii  an  yi'l  Knccccsful.  The  above  indifalionn  are, 
however,  interestinn,  inasniueh  as  they  hIiow  the  oxintenee  of  potrolenni  over  a 
eoMsiderahle  area  in  this  region,  some  part  of  wiiieh  may  i»erhaps  furnish  availa- 
ble (luantities  of  tliis  material." 


Recknt  Ex  ploitation. 

Hlxlnri/  nJhiUr  Opcrdlioun  vol  fullif  kiioiryi. — Roj?iir<liiig  hitor  operations 
))ut  littlt!  is  ]<n()\vn,  as  owinj;  to  tlio  distiuico  I'rom  our  uhujiI  ficldH  of 
worli  and  tlio  disinclination  of  oporators  to  impart  information  it  has 
l)oen  found  impossil)l()  to  closely  follow  actual  operations.  However,  this 
much  is  known,  that  oil  has  heen  found  at  some  depth,  though  in  small 
(piantities. 

Notes  on  pant  and  present  Investif/ations. — The  following  notes  are  gleaned 
from  a  report  on  mines  and  minerals  of  the  province  of  Quebec  recently 
prepared  by  J.  Obalski,  INI  IC,  supplemented  by  information  obtained  by 
the  writer : 

At  Sandy  Beach,  on  lot  B,  York  townshi[),  two  wells  were  sunk  about 
20  years  ago,  one  of  which  is  said  to  have  afforded  oil,  and  about  a  mile 
above  Douglastown,  on  the  southern  side  of  the  Haiut  John  river,  a  well 
was  sunk  l;io  feet  without  successful  result.  At  Silver  Brook  two  wells 
were  bored  to  a  depth  of  8(K)  and  900  feet  respectively,  both  showing  the 
presence  of  jietroleum,  and  on  the  southern  side  of  the  York  river,  near 
Silver  Brook,  two  borings  were  made  by  the  (iaspe  Oil  company  to  a  depth 
of  700  and  8(X)  feet,  in  neither  of  which  was  oil  struck.  Subsequent  to 
these  a  well  Avas  sunk  at  Sandy  Brook  to  a  depth  of  700  feet,  in  which 
oil  was  found,  though  in  small  quantity.  The  oil,  a  specimen  of  which 
was  collected  in  1882  by  the  writer,  was  brought  to  the  surface  of  a  small 
l)Ool  by  the  water,  which  flowed  in  considerable  quantity  from  the  boring, 
and  was  a  heavy  black  oil  of  about  25°  Baume  gravity. 

In  1888  the  International  Oil  comi)any  of  Saint  Paul,  TTinnesota, 
sunk  a  shallow  well,  which  was  in  1889  deepened  to  450  feet  without 
finding  oil.  The  lands  and  plant  owned  by  this  company  were  in  the 
same  year  taken  over  by  "  The  Petroleum  Trust,"  which  has  since 
sunk  live  wells  in  the  district.  In  one  of  these,  bored  at  Seal  cove,  a 
short  distance  south  of  the  crown  of  tiie  Tar  Point  anticlinal,  they  have 
met  with  a  small  quantity  of  high-grade  oil.  According  to  one  of  the 
drillers,  the  boring  reached  a  depth  of  3,000  feet,  of  which  the  upper 
2,150  consisted  of  yellow  and  white  sandstone,  followed  by  850  feet  of 
bluish  shaly  limestone,  in  which,  at  a  depth  of  about  2,600  feet  from  the 


im, '  'VJPi'i'tmniBji 


244 


II.  I',  ir.  nitnMKM, — i'Ktiu)I,kiim  in  (iHKnKc 


Hurfacc,  (he  oil  was  found.  Tho  oil.  wiiich  ih  gmin  in  color,  irt  of  jibout 
3«°  IJuuiut)  Kruvity,  hm  an  aronmtic  odor,  and  in  bright  ruhy  rod  by 
traiiHuiitted  lijj;ht. 

(hntinuntion  of  InvcstiffiUinnH  prohnhlc— The  company  working  at  pres- 
ent expect  to  continue  «)perationH,  the  rcHults  of  which,  in  view  of  tho 
probable  exhauHtion  in  tlie  near  future  of  tho  Petrolea  field  in  Ontario, 
will  be  watched  with  interest. 


?') 


'^ 


^f 


.^t 


